Driving mechanism for rotary machines



A. B. BOYER. DRIVING MECHANISM FOR ROTARY MACHINES.

APPLIICATION FILED MAR. 29, 1920.

Patanted May -17, 1921 j 2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

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A. B. BOYERL DRIVING MECHANISM FOR ROTARY MACHINESI APPLICATION FIL'ED MAR. 29, 1920.

Patented May 17,1921.

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ALEXANDER B. BOYER, 0F RIVERSIDE, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR, BY DIRECT AND MESNE -ASSIGNMENTS, TO AMERICAN ROTARY ENGINE 00., OF GRAND RAPIDS, WISCON- SIN, A CORPORATION OF WISCONSIN.

DRIVING MECHANISM FOR ROTARY MACHINES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed March 29, 1920 Serial No. 369,652.

To all whom; it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALEXANDER B. BoYnR, a' citizen of the United States, residing at Riverside, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Driving Mechanisms for ing divided into two parts by a diaphragm or separating means so that the progressive movement of said compartment may be utilized to compress or pump fluid, or to rotate the machine by means of fluid under pressure thus making the machine a prime mover. I am aware that many machines of this kind have been devised in the past and the machine specifically shown and described in connection with the present application is not of itself claimed herein to be new and novel but merely to illustrate a type of machine adapted for use in connection with my improved driving mechanism. It will be understood that my improved driving mechanism is applicable to i any different types of rotary machines f the general class described and that I do not limit myself specifically in connection with my present invention to the use of my driving mechanism with any particular one of them. In connection with rotary machines of the kind referred 'to it has been the common practice to connect one of said members; for example the inner one, to a shaft by which the power developed may be transmitted if the machine be a prime mover, or by which power may be communicated to the machine if it be of the compressor or pump type. The other member of the machine has usually been connected in driving relation with the first member through the diaphragm or separating means referred to so that the rotation of the first member rotates the second member by forces communicated through said separating means when the machine is of the'compressor or pump type and that the first member and its shaft are rotated by force exerted upon said first member by sa1d separating means when the machine is of a prime mover type.

My invention, which is an improvement on the invention disclosed in application Serial No. 365,471; provides a connecting mechanism outside of said compartment between the two members of the machine, comprising one or more arms rigidly secured to one member of the machine, said arm or arms being pivotally connected to the other member by a link or links to compensate during the rotation of the machine for the eccentric relation of the members relatively to each other; The pivotal connections carried by said arm or arms are'substantially in line with the center of oscillation of the slide devices carried by said one member for engaging said separating meanswithin the machine carried by the other member thereof. As a result of the link connections referred to a slight amount of angularity is introduced resulting in a corresponding displacement of the slide devices in said one member, which, however, may readily be made of small amount and compensated for by suitable clearance and packing devices permitting corresponding movement of the separating means carried by the other member relatively to said one member without communicating the driving forces and inertia forces from one member to the other through said separating means.

. In this manner I am able to construct my driving mechanism solely with regard to withstanding the driving pressure and the inertia pressures exerted upon said driving mechanism and I am able by the use of proper bearings to reduce the friction resulting from said pressures to a minimum, since no problem of maintaining fluid tight joints is present in connection with the driving mechanism. Furthermore since the separating means in my construction function solely to maintain a fluid tight separation between the two portions of said compartment and are subject only to the pres- Patented May 1'7, r921.

partlnent to the other, thus materially ini creasing the eflectiveness of the machines.

In connection with rotary machines of the kind referred to, when one of the said members of the machine is rotated at a uniform rate, as for example the inner member, the rate of rotation of the outer member varies through'a definite cycle, being greatest when said separating means lies in a plane across the largest dimension of said compartment radially and smallest 'whensaid separating means is in its diametrically opposite position. In the use of said rotary machines where the separating means are depended upon to transmit the driving forces, the forces produced upon the separating means by the inertia of the member having vary ing velocity in undue friction particularly wherethe separating means is in the form of a diaphragm secured to one of the members and sliding in the other member.

I It is an object of the present invention to free said separating means from the inertia pressures and friction: referred to so that said separating means may be constructed in a manner to most effectively establish. :1'

fiuid tight partition across the compartment between said members and permit ready movement of said separating means rela-j tlvely to one or both of said members, leav-.

ing said separating means subject only to the pressures and frictlon resulting from the fluid pressure in said compartment,

which pressures and friction, particularly at high speed, are much less than the inertia pressures and friction referred to.

My invention will best be understood by reference to the accompanying drawings showing a preferred embodiment thereof, in

which Figure 1 shows the complete machine in vertical, longitudinal, sectional view.

Fig. 2 is a cross sectional view of the parts shown in'Fig. 1 taken along the line 2-2, and

Fig. 3 is a detailed, cross sectional view to an enlarged scale of the diaphragm mechanism employed to connect the twoelements of the rotary machine.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

As shown in Fig. 1 the particular rotary machine in connectionjwith which I have shown my driving mechanism employed,

consists of a casing 10 in which a shaft 11 ismounted to rotate. The shaft 11 has rigidly secured thereto an inner cylindrical 'element12 mounted eccen-trically in an outer element 13 supported on suitable bearings carried by the casing 10, in such manner that the outer surface is tangent at one position or substantially so to the inner cylindrlcal bore of the outer element 13, as for example lts lowermost position. A diaphragm 14 is secured to the outer element 13 in such a manner as to enter a recess therefor in the inner element 12, the function of the diaphragm being tov separate the compartment between the inner and outer elements into two portions to facilitate the operation of the machine either as a comprssor or prime mover according to the purpose for which the rotary machlne is intended. The machine illustrated, is of the are not specifically shown or described as they constitute no part of the present invention. Anyform of'said devices may be used as desired, as for example those constructed as shown and described in connection with co-pending application Serial'No. 219,040%.

As shown in Fig. 3, the diaphragm 14 is secured to the outer member 13 and rests between guide plates 16, 16, having laterally projecting keys 17, 17 entering corresponding keyways in rods 18, 18 carried by the inner member 12. Due to the rotation of the members .12 and 13 and. their eccentric relation, the diaphragm 14 moves radially relatively to the member 12 as the parts rotate and thus separates the compartment15 tended. In practiceit is necessary that there shall be sliding fits between the diaphragm 14 and the guide plates 16, 16 andto maintain the sliding fits for practical reasons, springs 19, 19 maybe used in the pins 18,

18 between the keys 17, 17 and the bottom of the keyways formed to receive the same. Assuming that the innerelement 12 is rotated at a uniform rate by the communication of power in a suitable manner to the shaft lland that the outer element 13 is rotated by means of the diaphragm 14, it will at once appear that the outer element 13 has a varying rate of angular velocity as a result of its eccentric relation to the member 12 and that each acceleration or re tardation in velocity of the member 13 produces a considerable pressure of the dia-- phragm 14 on one or the other on the plates 16, 16 depending upon the mass of the ma terial in the member 13 and the parts rigidly connected therewith.

To effect a positive driving connection between the members 12 and 13 I provide conshaft carrying the inner member 12 of the rotary machine and provided at its outer end with a pivot pin 21 engaging one end of the link 22, the other end of which is pivotally connected by the pin 23 with the member 13. The arm 20 extends radially from the shaft 11 in the plane of engagement of the diaphragm 14 with the inner member 12 and the axis of the pin 21 is substantially in line with the axis of oscillation of the parts carried by the member 12 to engage the diaphragm 14 to form fluid tight joints therewith. The eccentric relation of the elements 12 and 13 results in a small amount of oscillation of the link 22 on its pivot pin 23 as the machine rotates, which results in the pin 21 describing an arc of a circle relatively to the member 13 for said oscillation of the link 22. The extent to which the are re ferred to departs from a straight line is determined by the length which can conveniently be given the link 22 and this .departure or angularity results in a corresponding relative displacement angularly between the diaphragm 14 and the inner member 12. The amount of this departure orangularity is in any event small and the clearance between the guide plates 16, 16 and the pins 18, 18 as well as the clearance between the outer edges of the keys 17, 17

and the outer ends of the springs 19, 19 in scribed and the diaphragm and its associated parts are free from pressure except that produced directly by the fluid contained in the compartment 15.

While my improved driving mechanism above described is not a mathematically perfect solution ofthe problem, it is sufficiently close to the exact solution to .be effective and; eflicient and it permits the construction of such a driving mechanism in a much more simple and much cheaper way than when'a mathematical solution of the problem is required. It is particularly to be noticed that by my improvement I provide a construction in which large bearing surfaces may readily be employed to adequately takecare of all. of the pressures which will be brought to bear upon the driving mechanism and that no small or complicated parts of any kind are required in the construction.

While I have shown my invention in the particular embodiment above described, it will be understood that I do not limit myself to this exact construction as I may employ equivalents known to the art at the time of the filing of this application without departing from the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. In a driving mechanism, the combination of a rotary machine comprising two members one within the other in eccentric relation forming an inclosed compartment between them and a diaphragm carried by one of said members crossing said compartment and engaging slides carried by the other member, said slides having rocking motion about an axis of oscillation, an arm rigidly secured to said other member outside of said compartment, and a link pivotally connecting said arm and said one member.

2. In a driving mechanism, the combination of a rotary machine comprising two members one within the other in eccentric relation forming an inclosed compartment between them and a diaphragm carried by one of said members crossing saidcompartment and engaging slides carried by the other member, said slides having rocking motion aboutan axis of oscillation, an arm rigidly secured to said other member outside of said compartment, and a link pivotally connecting said arm and said one member, said arm extending substantially in the plane of said diapragm, and said pivotal connection between said arm and said link being substantially in said axis of, oscillation. I

3. In a driving mechanism, the combina tion of a rotary machine comprising two members one within the other in eccentric relation forming aninclosed compartment connecting said arm with the otherv of said members.

4. In a driving mechanism, the combination of a rotary machine comprising two members one within the other in eccentric relation forming an inclosed compartment between them and separating means carried by one of said members crossing said compartment and havmg varymg relation and engagement with the other of said members,

an arm carried by one of said members outside of said compartment in the plane of said separating means, and a llnk pivotally connecting said arm with the other of said members, the pivotal connection of said arm and said link being substantially in line with the axis of said varying engagement of said .separating means.

a 5; In a driving mechanism, thecombination of two members forming a fluid tight compartment between them, one of said members having a periodically accelerated and retarded motion relatively to the other of said members, an arm carried by one of said members outsideof said compartment, and a link pivotally connecting said arm ,and the other of said members outside of saidcompartment, said arm and link forming the only means for communicating the forces resulting from said accelerated and retarded motion to the other of said members.

6. In combination, a rotary machine comprising'a frame, an outer member having a cylindrical bore and rotatably mounted in said frame, a shaft rotatably mounted in said frame,an' inner cylindrical member of smaller diameter than said bore carried by said shaft eccentrically in said outer member to engage one side of said bore and formlng an inclosed compartment between said members, a diaphragm carried by said outer member extending across said compartment into a recess in said inner member,

packing members carried by said inner member in sliding engagement with said diaphragm, an arm rigidly secured to said shaft outside of said compartment in the plane of said packing members, a link pivotally connected to said outer member, outside of said compartment, and a pin pivotally connecting said link and said arm.

7 In combination, a rotary machine com-' an arm rigidly secured to said shaft outslde of said compartment in the plane of said packing members, a link pivotally connected to said outer member outside of said compartment, and a pin pivotally connecting cylindrical bore and rotatably mounted in said frame, a shaft rotatably mounted in said frame, an inner cylindrical member of smaller diameter than said bore carried by saidshaft eccentrically in said outer member to engage one side of' said boreand forming an inclosed compartment between said members, a diaphragm carried by said outer member extending across said compartment into a recess in said inner member, guide plates in sliding engagement with said diaphragm, said plates having keys projecting therefrom, rotatable pins carried by said inner member-having keyways receiving said keys, and connecting devices between said members outside of said compartment producing slight displacement of,

said diagram angularly from 1ts mid-position between said pins for each rotation of the machine, said keys having possible motion in said keyways 1n excess of said displacement.

9. In combination, a rotary machine comprising a frame, an outer member having a cylindrical bore and rotatably mounted insaid frame, a shaft rotatably mounted in said frame, an inner cylindrical member of smaller diameter than said bore carried by said shaft eccentrically in said outer member to engage one side of said bore and forming an inclosed compartment between said members, a diaphragm carried by said outer member extending across said compartment into a recess in said inner member, guide plates in sliding engagement with said diaphragm, said plates having keys projecting therefrom, rotatable pins carried by said inner member having keyways receiving said keys, an arm rigidly connected with said inner member outside of said compartment, and a link pivotally connecting said arm and said outer member outside of said compartment, said keys having possible motion in said keyways in excess of the angular displacement resulting from the angularity of said link.

in witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe i my name this 11th day of March, A. D.

ALEXANDER B. B'OYER. 

